The Librarians Who Battled the Patriot Act – David Goodman

Mother Jones journalist David Goodman tells the story of four Connecticut librarians who were ordered by the FBI to release library records under the Patriot Act. After filing suit against the Attorney General to challenge the order, the librarians eventually won the case.

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The longtime host of the award-winning Pacifica Radio’s Democracy Now!, Amy Goodman has steadfastly covered grassroots activism, the political process, and government accountability. She has co-authored many books with her brother and fellow journalist, David Goodman.

Their collaborations include investigations into the mercenary aspects of war, media culpability, freedom of information, and international human rights, and seek not only to expose endemic corruption, but also to affect change.

Their bestselling book, The Exception to the Rulers: Exposing Oily Politicians, War Profiteers, and the Media That Love Them, examines the full political spectrum, from The Washington Post to Bill Clinton, in an effort to bring genuine accountability into public discourse. The Goodmans’ latest project is Standing Up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times. Standing Up to the Madness celebrates grassroots activists across America and the power of the individual to bring change on a local and national level. – City Arts and Lectures

David Goodman is a contributing writer for Mother Jones. and co-author of Static: Government Liars, Media Cheerleaders and the People Who Fight Back.

17 thoughts on “The Librarians Who Battled the Patriot Act – David Goodman”

MsTheresaKelly1

(March 23, 2010 - 11:18 am)

Ummmm might want to … Ummmm might want to look at Bushes “Executive Orders,” totally moving us towards fascism! Obama like any wanna be dictator has carried it further!

MrBullfrog9876

(March 23, 2010 - 11:18 am)

Ok if these … Ok if these librarians can stand up so can the rest of us! Truck drivers, phone workers, small business owners, communication workers, all of us! They can’t beat us all! Take back our country from tyranny!

AStarSpangledGirl

Nathano27

RadYooper

(March 23, 2010 - 11:19 am)

So now we have more … So now we have more than one reason to “thank a librarian.” Awesome! God Bless the librarians!

Inupiatun

(March 23, 2010 - 11:19 am)

My Library doesn’t … My Library doesn’t keep any records past what you currently have checked out, so that they cant give any data to anyone. Its their form of civil disobedience. And i support them for it 😀

justtwentyoeight

(March 23, 2010 - 11:19 am)

1st: look up … 1st: look up communism in the dictionary so you have a vague idea what it is

2nd: read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights so you have a vague idea what the USA is

3rd: go yourself

IamtheVOICE123

(March 23, 2010 - 11:19 am)

Dictatorship takes … Dictatorship takes time; Germany was under the rule of several different presidents which took the country into various hardships both economical and socially; then along came Hitler, Promising change, acting like an honest man, then pow… Nazi Fascism. You see; turning a democracy into a dictatorship takes time and effort, it does not happen over night.

liber8me

(March 23, 2010 - 11:19 am)

seriouisly mate … seriouisly mate anyone who says bush was anything like a dictator is an absolute idiot.

Saktoth

(March 23, 2010 - 11:19 am)

In a real … In a real dictatorship….

1. It would have taken military force to oust bush.

2. They would have just beaten up the librarians (And anyone else they could get their hands on).

Dont kid yourself. It can get much worse.

allgoo19

(March 23, 2010 - 11:19 am)

I can hardly … I can hardly distinguish the Bush administration and other dictatorship governments.

There will be more stories like this uncovered in the future. And nobody even talking about prosecuting?

gwynnsisland05

(March 23, 2010 - 11:19 am)

Go Librarians! Go Librarians!

16242T

(March 23, 2010 - 11:19 am)

Scary story, but a … Scary story, but a good ending.

ianhoppe

(March 23, 2010 - 11:19 am)

what a great story. what a great story.

NewfieBullett

(March 23, 2010 - 11:19 am)

I’ve sen so many … I’ve sen so many stories of Librarians standing up to tyranny…. What would we do without them? Way to go!

eirefrance

(March 23, 2010 - 11:19 am)

Makes me proud to … Makes me proud to have an MLS. The same thing happened at the library I worked at in Grad School (I mean the visit), but I don’t know what came of it. Certainly nothing as dramatic or brave as this. But this only makes me appreciate more the value of the ALA as an advocacy group.